Lehi, UT – Museum of Ancient Life (Exhibit 2)

Here’s an unusual one.  Also located in the Lehi, Utah Museum of Ancient Life, this is one of the only known Hesperosaurus (Hess-PARE-uh-sore-us) skeleton mounts in the world.  I think there is another one in Japan, but this the only one in the western hemisphere.  Discovered in Jackson, Wyoming in 1985, there is disagreement in the scientific community as to whether this animal should be classified as its own species or as a regional type of Stegosaurus.  You can tell there is a slight rounding in its single-row of backplates, as opposed to a Stegosaurus’ more triangular double-rowed plates.  Hopefully as I study paleontology more, I’ll learn more about how these type of animal species debates are settled.  For now though, I’m just grateful to have been able to see this one in person.